


Cloud Nine

by AirgiodSLV



Series: 28 Lotrips AUs Challenge [19]
Category: The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-06
Updated: 2006-05-06
Packaged: 2019-07-20 12:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16137467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirgiodSLV/pseuds/AirgiodSLV
Summary: “You know you’re not supposed to be up here,” Billy warned, but it was an empty threat. God knew all, and therefore presumably knew about – and was allowing – Dominic in Billy’s chosen cloud. The only one who really cared about the wandering fallen angels in heavenly territory was Gabriel, and thankfully he was well occupied with hosannas.





	Cloud Nine

**Author's Note:**

> AU #9, for [](https://herm42.livejournal.com/profile)[herm42](https://herm42.livejournal.com/).

Billy was just relaxing back to enjoy the chorus of heavenly hosannas when Dominic popped unnervingly into his cloud.

“Oh bananas!” Billy yelled, which was the closest he could come to an oath without betraying his personal code of moral behavior as an archangel. Dominic smirked, as he always did when Billy said things he considered ridiculous, and made himself at home on Billy’s cloud.

“They’re harping again?” Dominic asked innocently, fluffing his wings out behind him. The tips of his feathers contrasted with the cloud, ash-grey from the fire that had caught them when he was expelled from heaven.

“What do you want?” Billy asked, with what he considered the perfect tone of a long-suffering saint, but was more correctly the tone of a long-suffering archangel, as he couldn’t be both due to mortality restrictions on the latter.

“Company,” Dominic replied affably. His wings curved around his body, flexing and fluttering indolently. He inspected the ashy tips of his primary feathers and licked his finger to smooth one back into line. “It’s boring on earth at the moment.”

“You know you’re not supposed to be up here,” Billy warned, but it was an empty threat. God knew all, and therefore presumably knew about – and was allowing – Dominic in Billy’s chosen cloud. The only one who really cared about the wandering fallen angels in heavenly territory was Gabriel, and thankfully he was well occupied with hosannas.

“Bored,” Dominic repeated, wiggling his toes and watching them with every appearance of interest. “Why aren’t you on earth? I could tag along, help out.”

“You never help out,” Billy replied dryly, and then nearly had a heart attack when a large portion of his cloud burst into a pillar of flame.

“Hark,” Elijah announced unnecessarily, as the flames died out to reveal his diminutive frame balanced on the edge of Billy’s cloud. “I come on a mission from the Most High.”

“Really?” Dominic leaned forward, clearly oblivious to the way Billy was edging over in an attempt to shield Dominic from Elijah’s view. “An assignment? On earth?”

“You can’t hear this,” Billy said desperately, now trying to shove Dominic down through the bottom of his cloud. “It’s angel business.”

“How did he do that, with the fire?” Dominic asked, ignoring him completely. “I’ve never seen you catch fire. Can you catch fire?” He was eyeing Elijah with keen interest that Billy knew well, and had fended off with archangelic virtue on more than one occasion.

“He’s not an angel,” Billy explained reluctantly. “He’s an avatar.” Once more he tried to get between them, but Dominic was making it difficult by moving around to get closer, and Elijah wasn’t making it any easier by not moving at all.

“So if he’s not one of your lot, does that mean he’s bound by the whole chastity thing?” Dominic asked hopefully, eyes gleaming. He reached out to touch Elijah curiously, and Billy saw without having time to stop it.

“Dominic, wait! He’s not…”

 _Fwoosh!_ went the flames around Elijah again, and Dominic backpedaled hastily with a yelp, clutching his singed hand to his chest. His eyes were wide and shocked, but also impressed, and not entirely yet devoid of unhealthy interest. “Ouch,” he said – meekly, for a fallen angel – and his look turned reproachful. “That hurt.”

“He’s pure,” Billy informed him wearily, sighing as Elijah’s flames gradually died out once more. “You can’t touch him. No one can.”

Dominic’s expression was now one of distinct unhappiness. “Must be lonely,” he commented, and then added piously, “All of God’s creatures deserve love.”

Billy rolled his eyes. “Not that kind of love,” he said firmly. “No more touching, Dominic, because you can’t. I have to do archangel things now, can we perhaps continue this later?”

Dominic looked consideringly at Elijah, and then shrugged. “I’ve never met an avatar before,” he mused. “I’ll bet you’ve never met one of the fallen, either, have you? We should chat…I’m sorry, I don’t believe I caught your name.”

“We have to go now,” Billy said somewhat desperately, pushing Dominic bodily off the edge of the cloud. “I’ll even let you come along this time, it’ll be an adventure.”

“Purity gets boring,” Dominic called over Billy’s shoulder at the implacable but slightly perplexed Elijah. His arms cartwheeled as he balanced on the edge, and he gave Elijah a cheeky wink. “Call me sometime.”

Billy grabbed Dominic and tipped them both over into the sky, plummeting downwards towards the earth.

There were some things that would try the patience of a saint. Or, well...an angel.


End file.
